Machine for joining or seaming the edges of sheet-metal plates.



F. E ADAMS. MACHINE FOR JOINING 0R SEAMING THE EDGES 0F SHEET METALPLATES.

7 APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1909.

995 ,649, Patented June 20, 1911.

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MACHINE FOR JOINING OR SEAMING THE EDGES 0P SHEET METAL PLATES.

' APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1909.

995,649. Patented June 20, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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FRANK EDWARD ADAMS, 0F WALLASEY, ENGLAND.

MACHINE FOR JOINING OR SEAMING THE EDGES OE SHEET-METAL PLATES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 20, 1911.

Application filed May 14, 1909. Serial No. 496,032.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK EDWARD ADAMS, a subject of the King ofEngland, residing at Wallasey, in the county of Chester, England, haveinvented certain new and useful improvements in or connected withmachines for joining or seaming the edges of sheet-metal plates for orin the manufacture of cans or boxes, of which the following is aspecification, reference being made to the accompanying drawing.

This, invention has reference to the fastening together of the edges ofmetal sheets or plates, constituting the portions of sheet metal cans orboxes, such, for instance, as the bottom or top, and the sides, of a canor box in the general form of a poly-sided figure, that is, one havingfour or other number of sides; and it refers particularly to that kindof fastening which is known as double seaming, in which the edge of oneplate, say the bottom or top, is pressed or wrapped over anedgegenerally a rectangular flange, on the side or body, and prior tothe two being pressed down flush and parallel with the said side orbody.

The object and effect of the present invention is to provide improvedmeans whereby the seaming and fastening shall be entirely satisfactory,always, and under all conditions, and this is accomplished by a machineof the character referred to, in which not only do the seamed or joinedportions of cans or boxes receive movement in relation to the plate orpart which carries it prior to and during the final squeezing action,but the seam or joint is supported at the back or inner surface duringthis squeezing action.

The invention will be described in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate a machine for joining or seaming the edges ofsheet metal plates, in which the invention hereunder is comprised.

In these drawings, Figure l is a cross section showing the carrying orsupporting parts on the opposite side of the center line, in its twodifferent positions. Fig. 2 is a plan of the tools; Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section across the machine taken at the line A A, Fig. 2;and Fig. l is a plan and section of the lower parts of the table frameshown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows the position and form of the body andbottom before being operated upon; Fig. 6 shows them after receiving thefirst operation; Fig. 7 shows the final position of the canister inrelation to the tools, in which the final action of the latter takesplace.

With regard to the machine illustrated, and the box or canister partswhich it is adapted to operate upon, it is to be assumed that the edgesof the sheets or parts are those of the bottom (or top) a, and the sidesI), of a can or box, the general form of the body of which is that of afour sided figure, the four edges of which are to be joined and seamedup simultaneously in the machine by four tools; while the tools of themachine are of the kind which have a lip which projects beyond thenormal face of the tool. And it is to be assumed that the edge of thebody part b is already flanged outward in the usual way, as shown, andthe end a has a short vertical up-set parallel portion, which fits justunder the lower part of the body.

0 is the carrier plate of the machine on which the bottom or end plateof the box rests; and in seaming, this end plate of the body Z) isplaced in the usual way in the machine, in which position the uppersurface of theprojecting lip d of the tools 6 is parallel with the undersurface of the carrier plate or support 0 (see Fig. 6). The tools 6 arethen moved inward and in this action, the outer portion of the flange ofthe end a is curled up by a curved or grooved portion or recess f in theface of the tools, above the upper surface of the lip, and over on tothe upper side of the can body flange, which is also bent up as shown inFig. 6.

The relative position between the parts of the can so far partiallyseamed and fastened together, and their carrier plate or support 0 isthen changed; that is, they are moved away from one another, preferablythe can parts being raised away from the carrier plate after the tools 6have receded, whereby the lower edge of the metal of the can end will beslightly above the lower surface or edge of the support or carrier plate0, and then, in this relative position, these parts, namely, the supportor carrier 0, and the can parts, have movement in relation to the tools6, so that another part of the face of the toolsi. e. that above thegroove fwill be opposite the partially finished joint or seam, and thispartcalled the closing part-in the drawings is fiat, but it may begrooved. The tools 6 are then again moved toward the can, and press andsqueeze and close the folded edges fiat and parallel with the sides orbody of the can or box, which finishes the seam.

\Vhen the tools again recede, the box or can is taken 05, and the partsof the carrier or support move to their normal position.

In one arrangement of parts, namely, that shown in the drawings, thecarrier or support for the end a of the can or box consists of twoplates of different widths, the upper plate 0 being of the depth of theparallel portion or up-set of the can end, and overhanging the lowerplate 0 to admit of the action and inward movement of the lip d of thesqueezing tools; and the lower smaller plate 0 is suitably guided in abox or guide it within which also there is another plate 2'. Then inconnection with these plates there are a series of pins 75 (or thelike), whose length is slightly greater than the combined thicknesses ofthe two plates 0, 0 and which pass through the two plates, so that thelower movable pad or plate 2', on which the lower ends of these pins 70rest, is raised, it lifts the box or can end a a short distance abovethe plate 0 on which it rests; and then, continuing to rise, it liftsthe tin, and the plates 0, 0 until the partially formed seam is oppositethe closing ,face of the tools or jaws.

By the bottom a being lifted from the plate 0 as described, the loweredge of this plate will be a little below the bottom of the seam (asshown in Fig. 7), and no bur of or on the lower part of the seam can getor be pressed under the lower edge of the plate 0, and so cause the boxto stick on it and prevent it being easily removed after the completionof the seaming action.

The lifting plate 6 is raised by pins Z carried in hinged levers m anddisposed under depending pins 9% on the plate 2', and passing throughthe table 0 of the machine; the levers 171. being adapted to be raisedand lowered by a cam or cams or the like in any known way.

The tool slides or carriers 5 slide in guides in the table 0 and thetools e are therefore conveniently reciprocated up to, and away from thecan edges to be seamed by levers q,

carried in the table 0 and worked in any known suitable way.

To enable the pins 70 to fall, and their upper ends to be flush with theupper surface of the plate a, after the plate 2' is lowered, pins .9 arefixed in the box id, and project through the plate 2', and hold theplate 0 up and off the plate a when in its lower position, as shown onthe right hand half of Fig. 1. And adjustable means t are provided inthe plate 0 to adjust and regu late its position in relation to theplate 2'.

hat is claimed is 1. In a machine for joining and seaming the edges ofsheet metal plates for and in the manufacture of cans and boxes, acarrier support for the work having pins which are movable relativelythereto, and serv'e to move and support the work a predetermineddistance away from and above the support during the operation of themachine.

2. A machine for joining or seaming the edges of sheet metal plates foror in the manufacture of cans or boxes having a carrier support forcarrying and supporting the end plate of a box or can, movable pinsadapted to be moved relatively to the carrier support supporting meansfor the carrier support, and means for raising the carrier supportrelatively to the other parts of the machine, and means for raising themovable pins relatively to and for causing them to project above theupper surface of the carrier; substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

3. A machine for joining and seaming the edges of sheet metal plates forand in the manufacture of cans and boxes having reciprocating toolsprovided with seaming and pressing surfaces, means forrecipromanufacture of cans and boxes, having reciprocating toolsprovided with seaming and pressing surfaces, means for reciprocatingtools a carrier support for the end plates and bodies of boxes or cansto be seamed having an upper plate extending beyond the sides of thebody of the support, and pins movable relatively to the support aperforated movable plate for supporting the pins in position; a boxguide for the carrier, support and plate; adjustable screws extendingthrough the perforated In testimony whereof I aflix my signature platefor supporting the carrier support at in presence of tWo Witnesses. apredetermined distance therefrom; and

means for raising the perforated movable FRANK EDWARD ADAMS plate andfor raising the carrier support and Witnesses:

for moving the pins relatively to the car- SOMERVILLE GooDALL,

rier support. DONALD CoULTnR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). O.

